Adult Film Industry Back to Work After an HIV-Related Shutdown
A performer tested positive but did not contract HIV on-set and did not expose coworkers to the virus, says a trade association.
It’s back to work for the adult-film industry after it was determined that a performer who tested HIV positive on Saturday contracted the virus socially—as opposed to on-set—and had not exposed fellow performers to HIV, according to a press release from the Free Speech Coalition (FSC), a trade association for the industry.
The FSC’s Performer Availability Screening Services (PASS) ensures the health and safety of performers, including guidelines for HIV testing. As such, after the performer tested HIV positive, the FSC on April 15 placed adult-film production on a cautionary hold until the risk to other performers could be ascertained and the initial HIV test could be confirmed. That hold has now been lifted.
According to the FSC press release, the performer had attempted to return to work after a 25-day break. After the positive HIV test result, the performer worked with PASS to reconstruct a genealogy of all the sexual contacts in the performer’s professional and personal life. All partners were notified.
“While we understand that production holds are difficult for performers as well as producers, they are essential to the safety and integrity of the performer pool,” said Eric Paul Leue, FSC executive director, in the press release. “A production hold is the sign of a functional system protecting adult performers. The PASS system has once again successfully prevented any transmission of HIV on a regulated adult set, as it has for over 10 years. We are working with the performer to get them to the resources and treatment to help manage their status and appreciate their commitment, honesty and participation.”
To learn more about HIV transmission and risk, visit that section of the POZ Basics, which includes and interactive lesson. You can also take our quiz “Do You Know How HIV Is Transmitted?”
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